Hebrews 5
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Long ago, there was a big tent where people came to meet God.
Inside the tent it smelled of smoke and oil. There were curtains. And there was one man who was allowed to go all the way in. He was called the high priest.
The high priest had a job. People brought him gifts. A little bread. A lamb. And the high priest carried it to God and said: "God, look. This is for You. These people did wrong things. Please forgive them."
And do you know what was special about that man? He was not perfect either. He also did wrong things sometimes. So he was never cross with the people. He was gentle. He knew exactly how they felt.
But the high priest did not pick that job himself. He did not say: "Look at me, I want to be the important one." No. God called him. God said his name, like Aaron's name. And then he went.
What Does This Mean?
Now listen, because there is Someone else.
There was one night when it was dark, and someone was praying. On his knees. It was Jesus.
Jesus was praying to His Father in heaven. And He was crying. Real tears, rolling down His face. He cried out loud, because He was so sad and so afraid. Something very hard was coming.
But Jesus did not run away. He said: "Father, I will do what You want."
And God heard Him. God heard every word.
The Common Thread
Jesus became the very best high priest ever. Not in a tent with curtains. Jesus did not bring a lamb or a piece of bread to God.
He carried all our wrong things away. Every single one. And now Jesus is standing right next to God, and He knows your name. He is never cross with you. He knows how it feels to cry. He knows how it feels to be afraid.
And Jesus will never stop. Not one day. Not one year. Forever and ever He stays our helper.
For You
Do you know what a tiny baby drinks? Milk. Warm milk from a little bottle. A baby cannot eat bread yet, or apples, or potatoes. A baby has no teeth.
But you do. You have teeth. You can bite. You can chew.
The Bible says: little babies drink milk, and big children eat real food. And it is the same with the stories about Jesus. When you were very small, you heard tiny bits. Now you can hear more. And when you are bigger, you will hear even more.
So keep listening. Every time you hear about Jesus, you grow a little on the inside. Like a plant in the sun.
And when you are sad, you may pray. Just like Jesus did, in the dark. You may cry and say: "God, help me." Because God hears. He always hears.
Talk About It
Jesus cried when He prayed. What makes you sad sometimes?
What food do you like to chew? And who told you about Jesus today?
Praying Together
Dear God, thank You that Jesus prayed and cried too. Thank You that He carried my wrong things away. Please help me grow. I want to hear more about You. Amen.
Questions about Hebrews 5
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is Hebrews 5 about?
What does Hebrews 5 say?
What does Hebrews 5 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from Hebrews 5?
Why is Hebrews 5 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
Named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek." Notice where this title lands: right after the strong crying and tears of Gethsemane. God did not name him priest apart from that anguish, but through it. So when you come to him undone, you are not interrupting his holiness. You are meeting the very place he was made your priest.
Jesus, "in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death," was heard. Notice: heard, not spared. The cup still came. When your tears feel unanswered, remember He wept too, and the Father's love for Him never wavered.
About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing."
The writer wants to say more about Jesus as our high priest, but he stops. Not because the truth is too complicated, but because their ears have grown thick.
Dull hearing rarely happens overnight. It creeps in through small refusals, sermons half-listened to, verses skimmed, promptings ignored. What has God been trying to tell you lately that you have quietly stopped straining to hear?
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
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